Y.M.C.A. drops three of its letters – does this mean fewer dance moves?

Where do you go when you’re short on dough? Young man, there’s still a place for you to go: The Y.

With only a simple trumpet melody, you could get a party started and have everyone shouting four letters of the alphabet: Y.M.C.A.

But an announcement today by the organization behind the famous acronym might changes things – it’s dropping the last three letters and going with what most people refer to it as: “the Y.”

Forever cemented into American pop culture by The Village People, the organization behind the seemingly random letters has been around for a long time. – it was founded 166 years ago as the Young Men’s Christian Association.

Perhaps one of the most well-known nonprofit organizations in the country, it has long dropped it’s full name and branded itself with the acronym. But as we have approached the age of brevity, people have simply been referring to the organization – or its facilities, as more common to everyday language – by “the Y.”

It’s a new branding strategy that management hopes is easier for members to identify with, along with other wording that emphasizes their community involvement:

– Youth Development: Nurturing the potential of every child and teen
– Healthy Living: Improving the nation’s health and well-being
– Social Responsibility: Giving back and providing support to our neighbors

Alice Kaderlan, spokesperson for the Y.M.C.A. of Greater Seattle said the organization excited to implement the new logos, colors and other branding, but it won’t mean much change here. The new wording helps emphasize their nonprofit contributions, which the Seattle chapter is already doing well with, raising more money than any other in the country.

The Y will get a new logo – its seventh since the forming of the organization – to replace the current one that has been in place since 1967. But Kaderlan said you won’t see any branding change in logos or colors until early next year.

The Village People responded to the announcement in several publications, not scared to show disappointment. Here’s what the group told culturemap Houston:

We are deeply dismayed by today’s announcement from the Y.M.C.A. … Some things remain iconic and while we admire the organization for the work they do, we still can’t help but wonder Y.

Despite the name change, I’m sure the song will still be a wedding reception favorite. M, C, and A – you will forever live on in my dance moves: